I wanted to share some information I received today regarding firefighters and skin exams. Matt Kintz from Premier Plastic Surgery and Dermatology Associates has spearheaded the 1st Responder program in the Dayton, Ohio region. The information below was provided by Matt, and the numbers are no longer suprising us. Cancer, specifically skin cancer is an epidemic in the fire community. We're thankful for those like Matt that are hearing the call to help and making a difference in the lives of firefighters.

Email from Matt Kintz:

Over a three day period, our providers saw 219 individuals. These included active duty Dayton Fire, spouse and kids along with retirees, rookies and 3 student ride alongs.

We scheduled 70 patients while on site. Totals include 22% of individuals need a 3-6 month follow and 34% needing at least a yearly visit to monitor skin conditions.

More than 50% of those seen needed some form of follow up for conditions of the skin wither with us or their preferred dermatology provider.